Response to Literature Writing Genre

Introduction

“Annis Nin once wrote, “We write to taste life twice.” So it is with response to literature. We partake of the pleasures of a good book once again when we revisit the text in conversation with friends or as we find new mediums-music, art, drama, and the like-to represent our experience with the book. Indeed, not only do we “taste” the book twice, but our initial experience is deepened, expanded, and refined as we return to the text-perhaps again and again-and push our understanding in new ways each time. It is this deepening and stretching of reading that characterizes both reader response and the passionate reader. It’s one we want our students to relish as well.”

Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6

Teaching comprehension, genre, and content literacy,

Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, 2001, Heinemann

The units of study in this K-5 collection entitled, Response to Literature, are designed to be used as a follow-up to the Writerly Life curriculum and other writing genre studies such as Informational Text writing genre, narrative or memoir. In the Response to Literature lessons, students revisit pieces of literature to explore deeper understandings and meanings and to write about those explorations in multifaceted ways.

Correlated with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in English Language Arts, and the national New Standards Primary Literacy Standards, Reading and Writing Grade by Grade published by the National Center on Education and the Economy, and endorsed by NCTE and IRA, these units of study provide an extension to the foundation built with the Writerly Life curriculum for the growth and development of young authors in the Writer’s Workshop classroom.

The four to five week studies in Response to Literature are designed around the use of Touchstone Texts that elicit text to self, text to text, and text to world connections for readers and writers. Through retellings, comparisons across texts, written summaries, dramatization, making various kinds of judgments and interpretations, identifying themes in literature and book reviews, students will engage in oral and written discourse that reflects a high level of literary understanding.

The CD format of the Response to Literature writing genre study will provide an additional layer of instructional support for classroom teachers, who in collaboration with the school’s Literacy Leader, strive daily to learn and teach a coherent, standards-based literacy curriculum. The Literacy Leader and the Principal on each campus have a master copy of the Response to Literature writing genre CD. Additionally, the full K-5 writing curriculum-Writerly Life and Informational Text-may be accessed on the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence’s web site at www.epcae.org.

How should this curriculum be used?

As part of a year long planning process for implementing Writer’s Workshop across all grade levels, in all classrooms at a school
In conjunction with the America’s Choice Mini-Lessons: Establishing the Writer’s Workshop and the Writing Monograph Series for Writer’s Workshop published by the National Center on Education and the Economy
As a guide for professional decision making by classroom teachers
In consort with the school’s Literacy Leader
As a planning tool for grade level meetings
As a tool to help align the instruction of writing throughout the grades

Download Informational Text Curriculum (pdf format)

Kindergarten	Third Grade
First Grade	Fourth Grade
Second Grade	Fifth Grade

Acknowledgements

The El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence (EPCAE), founded in 1992, is a grant funded consortium of the school districts in Region 19, the University of Texas at El Paso, the El Paso community College and the El Paso Business Community, whose purpose is to improve the academic achievement of all students, PK-16.

The Literacy in Action Initiative, developed and supported by the EPCAE, is a standards-based reform model that helps build the capacity of schools to provide high quality literacy teaching and learning to all students. A key component of the Initiative is the provision of ongoing professional development led by a full time, on-site teacher leader, or Literacy Leader, in each school. Additionally, the EPCAE offers regular assistance to the campus administrators through capacity building seminars that enhance their roles as the instructional leaders for literacy learning on their campuses.

The academic work and various contributions of the following people are gratefully acknowledged.

Literacy Leaders:

Paula Ann Acosta Sherry Miller Alicia Huerta Pat Donalson

Carrie Barron Jennifer Parker Beverly Kelly Angie Gabaldon

Cynthia Chavez Rosario Rodriguez Connie Loya Letty Guevarra

Sylvia Diaz Blanca Acuna Janie McClam Laura Hernandez

Kristy Esparza Annie Benitez Barbara Nowell Colleen Hughes

Eva Gonzalez Clara Contreras Khoury Delma Patino Janet Kincaid

Rosana Guillen Eva Dominguez Perla Subia Tina Madrid

Belinda Hinojosa Theresa Fletcher Kathy Arrufat Elizabeth McClure

Jackie Jordan Tami Greggerson Michelle Casillas Denise Ontiveros

Sandra Leyva Jessi Hall Margie Davis Irma Reza

Marie Maldonado Loy Weiser

Michele Wells, Program Director for Literacy/MSP Leadership Development, EPCAE

Susi Hernandez, Administrative Assistant, EPCAE

Dee Warwick Cramer, Editorial Assistance

Dr. Alicia Parra, Deputy Director, EPCAE

Dr. M. Susana Navarro, Executive Director, EPCAE